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Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes bring an end to their contrasting BBL07 campaigns, on January 27 (Saturday) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

One team - the Stars - is looking to shuffle the packs for future commitments, while the Hurricanes know a win will seal a place in the finals. Could we have asked for a better finish to the league stage?

Match Preview

The Stars are rooted to the bottom of the table with two points from nine games. Even with a win in this match, there won’t be any change in their position. But, with the side continuing their clean-out, there is interest on how the Stars might line-up next season.

Luke Wright has already bid his farewell while Kevin Pietersen will play his final game on Saturday. Bob Quiney is also set to join the duo and the performances of many players have come under scrutiny, in what was otherwise a dismal campaign.

While the Stars are trying to sort their own mess, the Hurricanes are busy calculating their path to the semis. A win in this match will guarantee them passage to the final four – the position they end up, will depend on the result of the final match between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades.

The Hurricanes can also sneak in with a loss, but the chances are very minute. That situation would require the Heat defeating the Renegades by a wafer-thin margin. Suffice to say that the Hurricanes have their fate in their own hands.

Match Significance

The Stars’ players know that their contracts are up for grabs – not just for the next Big Bash but also for the upcoming IPL.

The Hurricanes’ situation is simple and clear – win and stay in the race. A loss would complicate their chances, leaning more towards elimination than progression.

Who’s Hot & Who’s Not?

In a season which was all gloom and doom, Glenn Maxwell (299 runs, avg. 37.37, SR 154.12) has been the lone warrior. He almost won them a couple of matches single-handedly and that tells a lot about his aggression. Barring him, every Star failed, and that’s not an understatement.

For the Hurricanes, it has been all about the runs from D’Arcy Short (504 runs, avg. 63, SR 148.23) and the clinical bowling of Jofra Archer (15 wickets, economy 7.35). It is tough to see where the Hurricanes would be, had it not been for this duo.

The Hurricanes will be worried about their brittle middle-order, with only Ben McDermott (228 runs) stepping up to support Short.

Tips and Predictions

The Stars enjoy a 5-2 advantage over the Hurricanes in head-to-head over the years and have won the last two encounters. Will that spur the Stars to override their poor BBL07 form? Back the Hurricanes to win at odds of $1.65 (Sportsbet).

The presence of Short and the ability of Hurricanes to manoeuvre in the initial stages of the innings makes them a good pick to score the most in the first six overs at odds of $1.75 (CrownBet).

This will be the last Big Bash game of the season for Short, before he joins the national T20 squad. A chance to stamp his mark? Back him to score at least 25 runs at odds of $1.83 (Ladbrokes).